Bath School Board Approves A Budget That Includes A 3% Raise For Staff

Warm Springs, VA – The Bath School Board has approved a budget for next year that includes a raise for staff. At a budget work session on Thursday afternoon the School Board approved a budget that includes a 3% raise across the board for staff, except for custodians. A scale adjustment for custodians is included and that will amount to salary increases of between 9% and 40%. The staff at Bath County Schools have not received a raise in three years.

The proposed budget also includes a full time principal at Millboro Elementary. Currently Principal Les Balgavy divides his time between Millboro and Valley Elementary. The budget also includes a 15% increase for insurance, but the exact cost of insurance is still unknown.

School Superintendent Sue Hirsh cautioned that insurance costs are going to skyrocket and that there is likely to be a huge increase. Hirsh recommended a 2% raise across the board and said the school board needs to present the most realistic option to the Board of Supervisors. The Board of Supervisors approves the final budget for the schools. The proposed budget was approved on a vote of 4 to 1, with school board member Barbara Waldeck voting no. Waldeck said staff deserves more of a raise.

Superintendent Hirsh also reported that she had received a quote for repairs in the high school locker room. $135,000 is the estimate for repairing the ceiling, plumbing and lights. Bath County Supervisor Jon Trees requested an estimate on those specific repairs. Total renovation of the locker room is included on the capital improvement plan at a cost of more than $500,000.

In other news the board accepted the resignation of Bath County High School Tennis Coach Nolan Craven. Assistant Coach Mike Bollinger was appointed as substitute tennis coach.

The Bath school board will present it’s budget to the Board of Supervisors on Tuesday March 22 at 7pm in Room 115 of the Courthouse.